The Albany Gazette - India maintain Pakistan stranglehold as Windies cruise at Women's T20 World Cup

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur produced a steely 29 to steer her side to a scrappy six-wicket victory.

West Indies, the 2016 champions, cruised past Scotland, also by six wickets with 50 balls to spare.

Set 106 to win after restricting Pakistan to 105-8 in their 20 overs, India were looking comfortable at 61-1. But two wickets in two balls by Pakistan captain Fatima Sana opened the door before Kaur took her side to the brink of victory.

With India two runs short, however, she slipped and appeared to rick her neck, leaving the field unbeaten on 29 from 24 balls.

Sajeevan Sajana hit the winning runs from the next delivery as India closed on 108-4, winning with seven balls to spare.

"We have been very disciplined, followed the plans," said India's Smriti Mandhana. "In the field we were very good. Better start with the bat would have been good, but we will take that win."

Nida Dar top-scored for Pakistan with 28 from 34 balls but there was little else to cheer after Sana had won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket that produced some awkward bounce.

"We were not up to the mark in the batting. We were 10-15 runs short," said Sana.

All of the Indian bowlers contributed with Arundhati Reddy the most succesful as she removed Omaima Sohail (3) and Aliya Riaz (4) in the middle order before clean bowling Dar in the final over to finish with 3-19 from her four overs.

After losing their opening match to New Zealand, this was a much-needed win for India in Group A.

They remain fourth in the group, with Pakistan just ahead of them on net run rate.

- 'Firepower' -

West Indies recovered from their opening 10-wicket rout by South Africa to easily defeat Scotland.

The Scots struggled to 99-8 in their 20 overs before the West Indies chased down their target with 50 balls remaining, securing victory, an impressive boost to their net run-rate and top spot in Group B

Qiana Joseph top-scored with 31 from 18 balls, hitting three fours and a six.

Deandra Dottin cracked two sixes in her undefeated 28 from 15 balls while sharing an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 42 with player of the match Chinelle Henry.

Henry made a brisk 18 from 10 balls including two fours and a six having earlier returned figures of 1-10 from four overs of fast bowling.

"We did pretty well with the ball, limited the boundary balls," said West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews.

"We got ourselves in a secure position and then we think about the net run rate and we did it."

Opting to bat first, skipper Kathryn Bryce (25) and Ailsa Lister (26) had attempted to steady the ship for Scotland with a 46-run partnership for the third wicket after both openers were back in the pavilion with just 13 on the board.

However, Bryce and Lister fell to 37-year-old leg-spinner Afy Fletcher who also dismissed Priyanaz Chatterji for a first-ball duck as the Scots' middle order crumbled.

"With the firepower they have, it was tricky," admitted Bryce.

"We didn't get off to a good start, we didn't get any momentum in the middle."

Matthews had opener Saskia Horley caught at midwicket by Dottin in the second over to reach 100 wickets in T20 international cricket.

Scotland have now lost their two opening games at the World Cup after being edged out by 16 runs by Bangladesh on Thursday.

(A.Johnson--TAG)